One More Time
Why does it feel like I’m doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again? I’m hoping I’m not alone in this feeling. Perhaps you have asked yourself that question too. Honestly, it is frustrating when you realize that you are repeating a pattern that you promised yourself you would change, only to discover you did it again! I’m not saying this to excuse my mistakes, but I do think it is important to acknowledge something we often forget: I am human, you are human, we are all human. Changing long-held behaviours isn’t easy. We are all shaped by our experiences, our fears, our wounds, and our habits. Growth rarely is straightforward or moves in a straight line. It is more of a dance…like a box step…I step forward, I step to the side, I step back…you get the idea. And this is why faith is so important.
Jesus never expected perfection from the people who followed him. The disciples, the crowds who gathered often misunderstood him. They argued with one another, they doubted. Peter denied even knowing Jesus when it mattered most. Yet Jesus never gave up on them. Instead, Jesus kept inviting them to begin again. I find this comforting and it gives me hope.
When I stumble, I don’t picture God standing over me with disappointment. I hear Jesus cheering me on from the sidelines saying “Get up! Let’s try again!” Faith doesn’t remove my humanity. Faith reminds me that my failures never have the final word. I’m reminded that every day offers another opportunity to become a little more patient, a little more compassionate, a little more forgiving, and a little more like the person God created me to be. Sometimes the changes are so small I hardly notice them. But over time, those small acts of choosing love over fear, grace over shame, and hope over despair begin to shape who I am becoming. Perhaps that is what discipleship really is - not getting everything right the first time, but trusting God’s grace enough - to keep trying one more time.
So if today you find yourself disappointed by a mistake you’ve made or discouraged that you’re still wrestling with the same old struggle, don’t give up.
Take a breath. Receive God’s grace. Pick yourself up. And try one more time.
Grace isn’t the reward for getting it right. Grace is the reason we have the courage to try again! May God grant us grace! “For [as it says in Proverbs 24:16a] though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.”
Rev. Karen